


25 Days of ML Christmas

by maitredesnavires



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: 25daysofml2k17, Drabbles, F/M, ML christmas, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-09 09:53:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12885366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maitredesnavires/pseuds/maitredesnavires
Summary: I'm baaaaack! And I'm trying my hand at drabbles and one-shots for the first time. Will I actually be able to all 25 days? Doubtful but I won't know if I don't try!





	1. Santa Claws

It had seemed like such a good idea when she first agreed to it. Everyone in Paris wanted a chance to meet their favorite heroes and snap a pic with them. What better way than setting up a meet and greet at the Centre commercial Beaugrenelle, right? Tikki had expressed her displeasure at the public outing, scolding Marinette once again that she was a superhero and not a celebrity. While Marinette completely understood, the bad press from the botched interview left a bad taste in her mouth and it seemed some in Paris were still less than pleased with the duo. Besides, it wasn’t like she was planning on staying in the lime light long. She would give her prepared ditty on how the bug and cat team were doing everything in their power to stop Hawkmoth, snap a few pics with fans and then be on her way. She still had math homework to do tonight after all.

Ladybug’s confidence in this “good idea” were quickly squashed, however, when she walked into the center of the mall. Under the glass ceiling was a _ginormous_ Christmas tree decked in colorful bulbs and enough twinkling lights to require a seizure warning. All around the tree, fake snow had been brought in by the truckloads, creating a faux winter wonderland that shoppers had to wade through to get to the line. The line. Ladybug’s eyes widened. Red velvet ropes created a serpent that wound its way through not one, not two, but three floors of the mall. Parisians of all ages were decked out in Ladybug and Chat Noir merchandise while others were wearing their best and ugliest Christmas sweaters. Slowly revolving in a small circle, Ladybug gaped at the sheer number of fans lining the glass railings.

 

 _“Joyeux Noёl,_ my lady,” a familiar voice sounded just behind her. Her mouth dropped open in surprise as she turned around and met bright green eyes. Standing in front of her was none other than her black leather-clad partner. That was not, however, all he was wearing. A slightly too big red velvet coat with white trim and a matching cap with a white bobble at the end joined his regular ensemble.

“ _Joyeux Noёl, chaton_ but what are you wearing?” Ladybug couldn’t stop herself from asking.

“Well we are taking pictures in the mall in December. I figured we should get into the spirit!” Chat replied a bit mischievously. Ladybug noted that gleam in his eye when he was up to something as well as his hands hidden behind his back. She did not have a good feeling about this.

“When you say we…” Ladybug started, unconsciously taking a step backward. Chat slowly brought his hands into view and produced a short green dress with a scalloped edge and a pointy felt hat to match. _“Chaton…”_

“Ah, come on, Ladybug. It’ll be fun and everyone is so excited for Santa pictures with Paris’ favorite superheroes!” Chat beamed, hooking a thumb in the thick, black belt that circled his waist.

Ladybug covered her face with her hands and dragged them down in exasperation. The hopeful and downright gleeful expression on her partner’s face took the fight out of her. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly of their own volition and she could tell the moment Chat knew he had won. She grabbed the outfit and unceremoniously threw it on over her suit. Shoving the hat on her head, she turned and posed with a cheesy grin.

“How do I look, Chat Noir?” Ladybug teased. A small blush formed under his black mask just briefly before he threw her a wink. “Wonderful as always, my lady,” Chat bowed and took her hand. He added, “I almost wish I could keep you for mys-elf,” before kissing it.

Flabbergasted and caught completely by surprise, Ladybug stood mouth agape staring at her partner who was already bounding toward the giant, gold throne set in front of the glittering Christmas tree.

“Well come on, my lady! We can’t keep the public waiting!” Chat sat in the chair and waved up at the sign hanging above the studio set-up. In bold, gold font sprawling on a red banner, it read, _“Santa Claws.”_ She rolled her eyes.


	2. Ugly Sweater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is planning another Christmas alone but his friends aren't having it.

Adrien stood on the doorstep of the Dupain-Cheng bakery staring at the gold logo on the glass. His emotions were a confusing mix of excitement, anxiety, wonder, and worry. He checked his watch and saw that they were 15 minutes early. He could knock, they were expecting them after all, but his arm wouldn’t move. Insead, he thought about the circumstances that had brought him to this exact spot on Christmas Eve. 

It had all started 2 weeks ago. His father had mentioned nonchalantly that he was going on a business trip to Venice and was going to be gone for three weeks while he worked on an upcoming show. Nathalie would be accompanying him but his bodyguard would take him to and from school, all of his lessons, and his pre-arranged photo shoots. Adrien wished he could say he was surprised, but he really wasn’t. His father’s distaste in Christmas since his mother disappeared was exponentially worse every year. He knew better than to bring it up. 

“I understand, father,” Adrien replied. “I hope you and Nathalie have a successful trip.” A curt nod was the all the reply and further conversation of the day. Adrien supposed that was more than usual; he should count his blessings. 

As it was December, the subject of Christmas plans came up on the regular. The “fab four” as Alya was fond of calling them, were out to lunch at a cafe and Nino had asked what he was doing for the holidays. A simple question. An innocent question, really, and it had Adrien staring deeply into his cup of coffee. 

“Ah, well, that’s a good question. I guess I’ll be at home with Gorilla. He might even help me put up the tree since my father won’t be home.” Adrien smiled fondly thinking of the large tree that hadn’t been opened in over two years. 

“Your father...won’t be home? Like, at all?” Nino asked incredulously. “Are you shitting me?”

Adrien’s head snapped up. He realized all three friends were looking at him with a mixed look of pity and righteous anger. Pity for him and anger at his increasingly absent father. He just shrugged, the weight of his friends’ reaction stirring something inside him he wasn’t sure how to name. Looking at each of his friends in turn, he felt so grateful to have people on his side, willing to have his back no matter what.

“That is just unacceptable, Agreste. You can’t be alone on Christmas! It’s...it’s Christmas!” Alya threw her hands in the air. 

“Yeah, dude. I agree with Alya. I’d offer my family up as a substitute but we are going to Morocco to visit family. I doubt your old man would be down with letting you out of the country,” Nino offered. 

“You guys are sweet but really, I’ll be fine. Like I said, I’ll be able to put up the tree. And Gorilla will be there so I won’t really be alone. Thank you but I don’t want to impose on anyone’s family Christmas,” Adrien reassured his friends. A honk from outside let Adrien know it was time to go and he bid his friends farewell.

* * *

 

Little to his surprise, his friends didn’t listen to him. Chat Noir knew that his friends had been scheming behind his back for the past few days but was still impressed when he landed on the rooftop to see a banner hanging crooked on the brick wall that read  _ Intervention  _ in a scrawling, red font. He looked at each of his friends’ serious faces and was torn between laughing at their antics and apologizing on the spot for whatever wrong he had committed against them. 

“Dear Adrien,” Carapace started with no other preamble. “The fact that your pops is leaving you for Christmas fucking sucks. He is a grade-A douchebag and a terrible human being. It is unfair that you are being left alone for the holidays and we are here to correct this gross injustice.” Chat smiled at his friend. He was little torn - he was talking about his father after all - but he knew his heart was in the right place. He appreciated the sentiment nonetheless. 

“I’ve already told you guys. I’m not going to be…” 

“Dear Adrien,” Rena Rouge cut him off and gave him a look that could shut even his father up. “We are here this fine day at this grand intervention to tell you that you are  _ not _ spending Christmas home alone with only Gorilla for company. We, your friends, are going to make sure that you are surrounded by people who love you, have enough food to feed an army, and the most delicious hot chocolate and croissants in all of Paris.” She quirked an eyebrow at Ladybug who blushed slightly. Chat was still confused but a seed of hope had been planted and he was eagerly awaiting the end of the intervention. 

“Dear A..Adrien,” Ladybug’s blush deepened as Chat’s full attention was on her now. “The Dupain-Cheng family has offered to host you for Christmas. My mom and dad are already working out all of the details and planning to have all of your holiday favorites. We really want you to join us for  _ le réveillon de Noёl  _ and celebrate the holidays with us.” 

Chat slid down until he was sitting on the roof, completely overwhelmed by his friends’ efforts to make sure he was included and surrounded by family on Christmas, even if it wasn’t his own. He could feel his throat tighten with emotion and his voice broke slightly as he responded. “You...you want me to celebrate Christmas...with you...and your family, my lady?” 

Ladybug’s expression softened and she walked over to him. She bent down, flicked the bell on Chat’s collar, and then tapped him on the nose. “Of course, Chaton. I can’t have my kitty all alone on my favorite day of the year.” The moisture gathering in Chat’s eyes started to silently fall down his cheeks. 

“So what do you say? Will you come?” Ladybug looked at him expectantly. Chat hesitated for just a moment before giving in. Taking a steadying breath, he took Ladybug’s hand in his own and brought it to his lips. “As you wish, my lady.”

* * *

 

Adrien stood in front of the Dupain-Cheng bakery. It was Christmas Eve and he and Gorilla were dressed in khakis and smart, elegant red sweaters from the Gabriel line. He was going to knock when he thought better of it and rang the doorbell. He immediately heard a squeal from inside and smiled. His lady was so cute. He could make out shadows walking towards the door before it swung open.

Standing before him was the entire Dupain-Cheng clan decked out in the most hideous, wonderfully terrifying Christmas sweaters he had ever seen. His eyes widen in surprise as he took in the scene in front of him. 

“Adrien! You’re here! I’m so glad you guys could come!” Marinette rushed forward and grabbed Adrien’s hand. “You made it just in time. We just started singing Christmas carols and then we are going to eat! But first…” She was dragging him through the kitchen where his mouth was already watering with the goodies set out and up another set of stairs. When they reached the top, he realized they were standing in her bedroom. “I wasn’t sure if you would want one because, I mean, I know my family is kind of out there and we can be really eccentric at times and I know that THE Gabriel Agreste is your father, and he’s a jerk and all, but really fashionable so if you don’t want to wear it then I completely understand but if, by chance, you do, I mean, you can, I mean, well, here.” Marinette held out a monstrosity of an ugly Christmas sweater. It was green with red stitching and in the middle was a large black Christmas tree made of yarn that had plastic bulbs glued onto the branches. The star at the top and the colorful lights actually worked and curled under the tree was a small black cat with green eyes that lit up. To top it off,  _ Joyeux Noёl  _ had been hand stitched below the collar.

“Mari, I...I absolutely love it!” Adrien didn’t think he had ever gotten such a wonderful Christmas gift. He snatched the sweater from her, stripped himself of his nice if boring high-end sweater, and slipped the new one over his undershirt. He turned to admire himself in the mirror. Marinette came to stand next to him, a deep blush on her cheeks. 

“We make a pretty cute couple, don’t you think, my lady?” Adrien leaned over with the most dashing Chat smile he could muster. 

“A couple of nerds maybe,” Marinette mumbled but she smiled anyway. A cough sounded above them and they both looked up to see Tikki holding a sprig of mistletoe and a sheepish grin. Marinette narrowed her eyes at her conniving kwami before meeting Adrien’s bright green ones. 

“May I?” he asked, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek. Marinette could only nod before their lips met in a chaste kiss. 

“I’ve wanted to do that for while now,” he said on a breathy laugh. Marinette simply squeaked before crashing her lips into his again. A second cough broke them apart. Sabine and Tom were both poking their heads through the door in the floor.  

“Well Sabine,” Tom started. “I’m not sure we could possibly get Marinette anything better than that this Christmas.” He said with a broad grin while his wife elbowed him in his side. Marinette blushed 5 shades of red before following them back down the stairs, a laughing Adrien behind her.


	3. Peppermint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat's are attracted to the smell of peppermint. Marinette decides to make candy canes for her classmates. Marichat ensues.

Marinette laid out the trays of homemade candy canes wherever she found a free space in her room. It had taken her most of the day to hand sculpt each candy cane into the perfect shape before they hardened. There were more than a few unsuccessful attempts sitting downstairs on her kitchen counter but she had taken the best of the best and brought them to her room to be wrapped. A wide smile spread across her face as she thought of her classmates reactions when she brought them into school tomorrow. Grabbing some red and green cellophane, she began humming Christmas carols as she set to work.

* * *

 

Chat Noir was hopping from rooftop to rooftop on this abnormally warm winter’s night. It had been a rough couple of days and he just needed to clear his head, going nowhere in particular. He stopped to look over the City of Lights and took a deep cleansing breath...only to smell something absolutely wonderful and enticing. It was minty and his heightened cat senses zeroed in on the trail. Without a second thought, he began to leap from building to building, excitement bubbling up as the smell grew stronger and he knew he was getting close. Before long, he found himself standing on top of the Dupain-Cheng bakery taking in lungfuls of the intoxicating smell. He slid to the ground with a satisfied hum and closed eyes, enjoying not only the familiar scent but the soft sounds of Christmas carols floating up from the open windows below.

* * *

 

“Did you hear something, Tikki?” Marinette stopped humming and looked up at her ceiling. She could have sworn she had heard someone up on her balcony. 

“Is it  _ Père Noël?! _ ” Tikki squeaked, her face engulfed in a huge, toothy smile. 

“Doubtful,” Marinette rolled her eyes as she headed towards her skylight. 

“Wait, Marinette!” Tikki cried out after her. “What if it’s an akuma?” Marinette’s steps slowed. It wouldn’t be the first time an akuma had come directly to her house, although she couldn’t think of anyone who would be after her at the moment. Well one person came to mind. If he knew she was Ladybug, could he send an akuma directly to her house? She worried her lip. “Tikki, spots…”

“Hey, princess!” Chat Noir’s head appeared in the window, causing Marinette to jump, tripping over her chair, arms flailing and hitting one of the sheets of candy canes on her desk. Chat winced as the peppermint candy canes clattered to the ground. It was enough of a distraction that he didn’t catch the red smear that flew under a pillow on the chaise.

“I’m so sorry, Marinette!” Chat opened the window and hopped down. He reached down to help the clumsy, red-faced girl up from the floor. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I smelt the peppermint of the candy canes and just couldn’t help myself.” He threw her what she supposed was meant to be a disarming smile. She shook her head at her partner. Of course her kitty would follow the smell of mint across Paris. 

“It’s okay Chato...Chat.” She caught herself before using Ladybug’s nickname for him. “I made extras because, well, because I’m me and I was bound to ruin at least a few,” she shrugged. “No big deal.”

“Extras? Marinette, you have over a hundred candy canes here!” Chat looked around the room full of trays of candy canes. 

“Well, I’m packaging them up and handing them out at school tomorrow. I wanted to make sure I had enough.” Marinette offered. She may have gone a bit overboard but she couldn’t help it! It was her favorite time of the year, after all. 

“Can...can I help?” Chat looked over at her, eyes bright. 

“Of course!” Marinette and Chat worked, unsurprisingly, extremely well together. They fell into comfortable banter, singing Christmas carols, laughing at Chat’s awful candy cane puns and jokes, and talking about their favorite Christmas traditions. Suddenly, Chat picked up a candy cane that was, unlike the others, sculpted into the shape of a heart. 

“This for someone special?” Chat teased with a wink. A blush settled on Marinette’s cheeks and Chat was immediately intrigued. 

“Um, yes, actually. Those are for Adrien,” she said shyly. 

“A bit of a fangirl, are we?” Chat probed with a smug grin, curiosity getting the better of him. 

“NO!” Marinette nearly yelled before covering her mouth with both hands. Chat’s eyebrows flew up in surprise. “I...I mean, I’m not just a fan. I mean, I’m a fan but not just because he’s a model although he’s really good at that too. But Adrien is so much more than a pretty face. He’s so kind and caring and he thinks the best of everyone even if they don’t deserve it and he’s so smart and talented. Did you know he fences? And plays the piano? Like really, really well. He’s pretty much perfect at everything but of course he is, he’s absolutely perfect…” Marinette’s look glossed over as she thought about her crush. 

It was Chat’s turn to blush. “You...you really think all that?” 

Marinette was brought out of her daydream at the uncertainty in Chat’s voice. That wasn’t like him. He was always so confident, teasing her in and out of the mask, even if he didn’t know she was the same person. “Well, of course,” she said matter of factly with a slight question in her brow. 

“Thank y...I mean, uh, he would probably appreciate hearing that from such a good friend, Marinette.” Chat covered his slip up with a slight cough. 

“Yeah, a good friend.” Marinette’s expression darkened a bit, the bite of those words from not too long ago still stung. Chat noticed the shift in her mood. 

“Well, I’m sure he’ll like these candy canes. They’re really cute and they smell delicious.” Chat offered, trying to lift the mood. 

“Yeah...yeah, I think he will,” Marinette said a bit more confidently. She was finally going to tell Adrien how she felt and no one, especially not a certain black cat, was going to deter her this time. She smiled at her partner. “Thanks for all your help, Chat. These would have taken twice as long without your help.” 

“Just your neighborly Chat here to help where I can!” He stood up and bowed gracefully if not a bit ostentatiously. “Until next time, princess!” He gave her a two-finger salute before bounding out the skylight and into the darkness. 

“Until next time, Chaton,” Marinette smiled to herself and shook her head.

The black cat who had stopped for one last sniff of peppermint, however, hadn’t been out of earshot. A smile spread across his face. “Until tomorrow, my lady.”


	4. Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An akuma traps Ladybug in a snow globe and the cold is putting her to sleep. Chat Noir needs to save her before it's too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't write less than 1,000 words. It's not in my DNA. So here. Take this. I hope you like it.

The color drained from Chat Noir’s face. His bug was trapped in a globe that was quickly filling up with snow. She had used her lucky charm but the single match lay outside of her glass prison, completely useless. Ladybug’s panicked expression as she slammed her fists into the side had Chat’s heart reeling. He looked down at his useless glove, having already used Cataclysm to break an object the akuma had not actually been in. He rushed into an alley just before his transformation wore off. 

“Here, Plagg,” Adrien roughly threw some camembert at his kwami before peering around the corner again. The snow was up to Ladybug’s waist already. Her movements were sluggish and she was losing out to some innate instinct that was obviously making her drowsy. Perhaps she took on some ladybug characteristics as he did a cat’s? He really didn’t want to find out what happened if she fully lost consciousness. 

Adrien whipped around, ready to tell Plagg to hurry up but found his kwami had already polished off his cheese. He quirked an eyebrow and Plagg’s somber expression sent shivers down his spine that had nothing to do with the rapidly decreasing temperatures. 

“Let’s go, kid. We’ve got a bug to save.” Adrien wasted no time in calling up his transformation, bounding out from behind a dumpster before the green light even finished fading. 

The akuma who called himself Jack Frost was busy using an icicle to turn people into living ice sculptures and throwing snow globe grenades to trap others. Chat wanted to pummel him so bad but he needed to save his lady first. Save Ladybug, save everyone, he kept chanting to himself as he watched a young child turn to pure ice, her scream etched in the smooth glass.  _ Save Ladybug, save everyone.  _ He looked back to Ladybug just in time to see her eyes slide closed and then disappear in snow. 

“Ladybug, no!” Chat’s cry was lost in the wind that was suddenly whipping around him. A chill had settled in his bones even with his magical suit. He turned to the akuma, his body set in rage. “You’re going to be sorry you hurt my buginette,” he growled at the man dressed in snow and ice. 

“Give me your miraculous and I promise I’ll set her free,” the akuma sing-songed, believing he had Chat cornered. The leather clad hero grabbed a nearby icicle and used his claw to carve it into a sword. 

“Never,” Chat lunged at the man who tried to block him with his own icicle wand which promptly snapped in half. A black butterfly flew out of what was now a broken icicle Christmas ornament. Jack Frost changed back into his civilian self but Chat didn’t seem to care. He raised his sword once more, fury filled his eyes as he locked onto his prey. The man cried out as Chat swiftly brought down his weapon. All of a sudden, it slammed into a green shield. 

“Chat! Stop!” Carapace pleaded. “He’s de-akumatized. He didn’t know what he was doing, Chat! Go get Ladybug before it’s too late. We’ll take care of the butterfly.” The green hero waited until Chat had dropped his weapon, wide-eyed at what he had been about to do. Red and yellow flashed ahead and the man in front of him dashed off to join them in their chase. 

Chat rushed over and stood in front of the snow globe. He’d not seen the aftermath of an akuma before without Ladybug’s miraculous cure. Parisians everywhere were trying to get people out of snow globes; he could hear the cries of those who still had love ones encased in ice. Was this the future without Ladybug’s magic? He shook the thought off. There were too many people here and too much time had passed, he had to get his lady out of the park that was quickly filling with people. He lifted the snow globe, surprisingly light in his transformed state, and bounded off.

* * *

 

He had had to break his window to get her into his room but he didn’t care. No one was home anyway; his father and Nathalie were off on a “business” trip and Gorilla was still searching for him back at the park. Chat set the globe down in the middle of his room. He took a deep breath. There was no going back now. 

“Cataclysm.” The black magic glowed around his hand. Using a single finger, he tapped the glass and watched as it fell away to ash. The trapped snow fell to the ground around him and he lunged forward to catch an unconscious Ladybug. Only, it wasn’t Ladybug. Marinette Dupain-Cheng fell into his arms. His masked and unmasked lives crashed together in an overwhelming wave of thoughts and emotions. His best friend was his, well, best friend. The girl who he had been chasing had been right behind him the entire time. He felt an itch in the back of his mind and he released his transformation. Plagg flew out of his ring and started digging through the snow, yelling a name Adrien didn’t recognize. He finally put the pieces together as the black cat dragged a red bug out of the melting pile on his floor. He cradled her in his arms, tears streaming down his face as he repeated her name over and over again. “Tikki. Tikki. Tikki, please. Tikki, wake up. Please, Tikki.” 

* * *

 

Marinette was the first to stir. Adrien had been hard pressed to let her out of his sight but he had left to get extra blankets, hot water bottles, and hot tea if, no when, she woke up. He had also found a plate of cookies for Tikki, Ladybug’s kwami as he learned. Plagg had not left her, cuddling up next to her in a nest of warmth.

Marinette slowly blinked the sleep out of her eyes, realization dawning on her that she was not, in fact, at home. She did, however, recognize the room. She bolted upright only feel a cool breeze. She quickly grabbed at the sheets to cover her naked body, her eyes searching the room until she heard a crash.

* * *

 

The snacks that he had been bringing into the room fell unceremoniously out of his hands at the sight in front of him. His first reaction h ad b een relief, relief that his lady had woken up and seemed to be out of harm’s way. His second was a rather swift rush of warmth to his core as he averted his eyes from the bare woman in front of him. The plate clattering to the floor. 

“Adrien?! How did I get here?! What happened to the akuma?! WHY AM I NAKED?!” Marinette’s voice continued to raise an octave higher with every question. Adrien knew that he had to tell her everything. A voice that sounded a lot like his father’s sowed seeds of doubt in his heart. How would she take knowing he was Chat Noir? Would she be happy? Disgusted? Disappointed? He walked over, food forgotten on the floor, and gingerly sat on a chair next to the bed. 

He told her about the akuma, which she remembered. He told her about the snow globe, to which she shivered at the memory. He told her that Carapace, Rena Rouge, and Queen Bee had captured the akuma and were keeping it in a special glass jar at Master Fu’s. He told her that he had carried her snow globe back to his room to keep her identity a secret from the masses. He told her that she had been soaking wet and freezing from the snow so he stripped her down (a deep blush forming from his ears to his chest,) and laid her in bed with all of the extra warmth he could find. Before anything else could register, she was calling out a familiar name.

“Tikki. Where’s Tikki? Is she okay?” Marinette sat up and looked around the room, just catching the sheet in the nick of time so as not to flash her crush...again. 

“She’s with Plagg. She hasn’t woken up yet but he said that as a ladybug, she hibernates in the extreme cold. He’s not sure how long she’ll be asleep this time,” Adrien’s voice trailed off as he looked over at the mess of blankets in the drawer of his nightstand. 

Adrien followed Marinette’s gaze as she found her sleeping kwami. She reached over but Plagg gave an uncharacteristic growl, protective of his hurt bug even from her own holder. Marinette just smiled and addressed the black god of destruction. 

“Thank you, Plagg. Please keep her safe. I don’t know what I’d do without her.” Plagg’s expression softened but his arms wound tighter around his other half. 

Suddenly, Marinette’s eyes widened and her head snapped back to Adrien. Her head flipped back and forth between the mini deity and the blond haired boy next to her.

“Chat…” she started timidly. Adrien gave her his most Chat-like grin. 

“Well, hello, my lady. It’s so very nice to finally meet the girl under the mask,” he wiggled his eyebrows. 

“Adrien...Agreste is...Chat Noir...Chat Noir is...Adrien Agreste. Oh mon  _ dieu…” _ Marinette covered her face with her hands. A slight panic started in Adrien’s soul. Was she really that disappointed…?

Marinette burst out laughing. “Of  _ course _ you’re Chat Noir. How have I never seen it before? The puns, the bows, the flirting. Oh my God, Adrien, you’re  _ Chat Noir. _ ” She continued laughing until tears formed at the corner of her eyes. 

“And is that...a good thing…” Adrien offered, hope not yet completely squashed by his lady’s reaction. 

“A good thing? Adrien, that’s a  _ great _ thing. My best friend and long time crush is actually my nerdy partner who I trust with my life. How is that anything but amazing?” She looked at him incredulously. Adrien’s ears perked up at a very specific word she had used to describe him. 

“Long time... _ crush _ ...my lady?” Marinette blushed but smiled. 

“Well, yeah. I’ve had a crush on Adrien Agreste since  _ collège.  _ You’re amazing, Adrien. So kind and caring and thoughtful. Of course you’re Chat Noir. He’s the same way.” She looked at her partner fondly. How she had been so blind was beyond her. Perhaps it was the magic of it all. 

“Well, my lady, I’ve had a crush on  _ you _ since collège,” Adrien smiled shyly. “I always knew I would love the girl under the mask. I just didn’t realize she would already be my best friend.” They’re eyes met and they both blushed even deeper.

“Oh, kitty,” Marinette leaned over, being sure to keep herself covered, and bopped his nose. “I’m so glad it’s you.”

“And I’m so glad it’s you, Marinette.” Adrien caught her hand and placed a chaste kiss on the inside of her wrist. Suddenly a small, high-pitched voice came from the side drawer. 

“Marinette?”


	5. Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and Nathaniel are celebrating their first Christmas as a couple but they have very different ideas about what makes a good gift.

“Here.” Chloe slapped two sheets of paper down on the table in front of her boyfriend. 

“What’s this?” Nathaniel asked, looking up at the blonde haired beauty. 

They had only been dating for about six months. While they had known each other in collège and lycée, it had taken two years of university and a slew of unfortunate and humbling circumstances to bring them back together. Chloe had hit rock bottom for a while, her dad’s career tanked after a myriad of scandals came to light, and she had to try to make it on her own. She wasn’t very good at it but she was trying, slowly pulling herself back up. She called it her  _ renaissance  _ and really was trying to be a better daughter, person, and friend. That was when Nath had met back up with her. They had bumped into each other at a coffee shop and spent two hours chatting and catching up. She was focusing on the good in her life and trying to bring good into other’s lives. Nath was an up and coming artist still taking classes at university but also a prominent contributor to a fairly well known art gallery. For reasons unknown, they clicked and started dating. That had been in July. 

“It’s my Christmas list, obviously. It’s already December 5th. Where’s yours?” Chloe looked at him expectantly. 

“Christmas list? What do you need a Christmas list for? And what is all of this stuff?” Nath looked at the pages of items, most of which he didn’t even recognize. 

“A Christmas list is a list of all the stuff you want to get as Christmas gifts. I always make sure to include a wide variety of ideas and price points. It also ensures that I get what I actually want for the holidays. How do you not know what a Christmas list is?” Chloe asked incredulously. 

“I know what a Christmas list is, Chlo. I’ve just never bought anything off of one. In fact, I never buy Christmas gifts. I always make them.”

“ _ Make them? _ As in homemade trinkets that are never as good as something bought in a store? Why on earth would you make someone something they don’t want when you can just  _ buy  _ them something from the mall?” Chloe’s forehead was creased in frustration. She wasn’t trying to be mean, Nath understood that. She was asking because she really didn’t know any other way. He grinned at his girlfriend. She had come a long way but he could still see glimpses of her spoiled childhood pop up every so often. 

“I  _ make _ them, Chlo, because it makes the gift more personal. It shows that person that I  _ know  _ them, better than anything I could get at a store. Besides, why would I buy something that 500 other people are also going to be getting for Christmas. That doesn’t seem very special.” 

Chloe crossed her arms and her brow furrowed in thought. She walked to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, closed it again, and returned to the table. She opened her mouth, closed it again, walked over to a bookshelf, and then back again. Nath watched her processing this new information in amusement. God, he loved this girl. 

“Well, I don’t know what to get you for Christmas without a list!” She finally threw her hands up in the air. “What do you want? At least give me some ideas,” Chloe entreated him. 

“I don’t really need anything right now. Besides, I have you. That’s all I really need.” Nath gave his girlfriend a heartfelt smile and reached out to squeeze her hand, pulling her into his lap. 

“Christmas isn’t about what you  _ need, _ Red. It’s about getting things that you wouldn’t necessarily buy for yourself. Something that would be nice to have but that you might not want to spend money on right now. You can’t think of anything?” Chloe ran her fingers over his cheek and threw his hair. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. “Hmmm. I’ll try to think of something. For you, my queen.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Merry Christmas, love.” Nath was the first one awake. They had agreed to stay at Chloe’s place on Christmas Eve so they could open up their gifts from each other on Christmas morning. Two gifts each, that was the rule. Nath had the joy of giving one of his first. 

“‘S early,” Chloe mumbled as she rolled over, pulling the covers over her head and burying her face in the pillow.

“I have bacon,” Nath sing songed as he set the tray on the nightstand.

“Bacon?” The mass of blankets moved to reveal a bed-headed Chloe who sat up with a big yawn. Nath’s mouth went a bit dry looking at his beautiful girlfriend all stretched out. “You made me breakfast in bed?”

“Merry Christmas, Chloe. Gift number 1 - breakfast in bed,” he said with a giant smile. They sat side by side and finished off the generous meal. 

“My turn!” Chloe reached into her drawer and pulled out an envelope. Curious but excited, Nath took it and opened it. 

“Is this...is this from Simona Marchini?” He asked, eyes blown wide in surprise.

“Yes! One of daddy’s contacts knew her and I got her information and I showed her some of your pieces. She was really impressed so she wants to fly you down to Italy and commission a couple of paintings for her new exhibit!” Chloe was literally bouncing from excitement. She had worked really hard to keep this a surprise and by the look on his face, she had succeeded. 

“This is amazing, Chlo.I don’t even know where to start. Thank you,” Nath blushed. This could be huge for his career and the fact that she had done all of this just for him was causing butterflies to lodge themselves in his stomach. 

“Your second present is in the living room,” Nath grabbed her hand and led her to the twinkling tree. 

“There’s nothing under there, Red. I already checked last night,” Chloe eyed her boyfriend. 

“I never said it was  _ under _ the tree,” he said cryptically. Chloe started looking at the tree and touched a single branch. “Warmer.” Chloe looked back at her goofy boyfriend and she rolled her eyes but not quite enough to mask her excitement. She continued looking up the tree. “Colder.” She frowned and moved back down the tree. “Warmer.” She moved left. “Warmer.” With a smile she couldn’t contain, she continued searching the tree with her boyfriend giving her hints and praises when she was getting closer to her gift. Suddenly she saw it, a small red box wrapped in gold ribbon. She pulled it carefully out of the tree and opened it. 

A beautiful white gold necklace sat nestled in black velvet. The pendant was a bumblebee made up of yellow and black diamonds. Chloe’s hand went to her lips and tear-filled eyes found Nath’s.

“You...bought me...a Christmas present?” She asked, already knowing the answer but still feeling very much loved. 

“Uh, heh, yeah, I did,” Nath laughed nervously. “I went shopping at the mall a couple of weeks ago with your list but honestly couldn’t find anything that really showed what you meant to me. Then I passed this and, well, I thought of you. Do you like it?” 

“Like it? I love it!” Chloe threw herself into his arms and small sob wracked her body. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him senseless, pouring all of the love she felt into it. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Suddenly, Chloe broke the kiss and pushed herself off of him. He frowned at the loss of contact. 

“Wait! You still have one more present to open!” Chloe rushed out of the room. She came back with a pretty holiday bag filled to the brim with tissue paper. “Here!” She pushed the gift into his hands. 

He slowly lifted each piece of paper out of the bag, chuckling at his girlfriend’s impatient whines. When he finally found the bottom of the bag, he pulled out a long, somewhat lopsided, green knitted scarf. He looked up to see his girlfriend worrying her bottom lip. He hadn’t seen her so unsure in a long time. 

“Did you, did you make this, Chlo?” Nath asked. She nodded her head apprehensively. He broke out into a huge smile.

“It’s perfect, babe. I absolutely love it.” He threw the scarf around his neck and admired her handiwork. He could tell that Marinette had helped her with some of the stitching but Chloe had made it with her own two hands. He beamed at his wonderful, crazy, absolutely amazing girlfriend who was again wrapping herself around him. 

“I love you, Chlo.” He whispered into the shell of her ear as he slipped a small, metal object into her hand. She let out a small gasp and lifted up a yellow apartment key with bees on it. She smiled up at him and nodded, unable to form words, her heart was so full. 


End file.
